Back in the long-ago and far-off days of two years ago, my schedule was so regular and predictable that I was always a month ahead on most of my columns, and several days out on the news columns. I devoted every Tuesday to outside-the-blog work like “Mind-witness Testimony“, the Cato Unbound series which appeared two years ago this month, and the preparation of Ladies of the Night. When I began to plan my book tour in the spring of last year, I got even more ambitious and prepared my columns for fully two months out; after my return home late that summer I quickly stabilized it at a month out again. And now I’m pleased when I manage to be two days ahead for a little while. You know what else I used to plan in advance? Meals. Because Matt travels so much for his job and the nearest full-sized grocery store is 20 miles from my ranch in Oklahoma, I actually planned my meals a month in advance; now I usually have no idea what I’m going to eat (or often, even where or when) until I actually set out to prepare or buy it. See, I’m actually kind of a homebody; I like things to be predictable and planned and comfortable. I like to eat at regular times and do things in a reasonably-regular fashion, and I don’t much like surprises. And maybe someday I’ll be able to live that lifestyle again, at least in the weeks when I’m not traveling; maybe after the house is finished and I have my retirement income figured out and preparations for taking care of my loved ones set in stone, maybe then I can get back to some degree of regularity…though I suspect the days of Phileas Fogg-like clockwork predictability are gone forever. Well, at least I usually have many of my work appointments and most of my social and other appointments planned a few days to a week out; I know Grace will be arriving for her Christmas visit two weeks from today, and I’m involved in planning some things that won’t take place for over two months yet. And who knows? If I try very hard, I might even manage to do another book sometime.
Diary #284
December 8, 2015 by Maggie McNeill
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Just don’t drive yourself into the ground. Even OCD cannot prevent that. You are doing an amazing job, and if it gets a little less amazing, that would hardly be noticeable.
I agree entirely with Celos. Remember that what you think of acceptable, everyone else sees as exceptional. As someone whose once busy and ordered life is now (chaotically) governed by managing chronic pain and physical disability I can empathise with how you feel and believe me you’re doing great!
Dear Ms. McNeill:
Considering that you recently had a change of lifestyle with the recent separation of your husband and you moved cross country, it is a transitional period for you. Not too mention although you left one family you took on another with Jae and other friends in the sex commerce community. I can imagine for a long time you were putting other people’s needs before yours. Now with the added responsibility of seeing your own clients, taking care of your own responsibilities, and accomplishing your other duties that you are doing with other organizations around the world it seems like you might be running into a time management issues. Not only do you have a new set of priorities with the life style change, but now comes a time where you have to maybe set one day aside where you might do cooking and shopping. Then you have days of the week were you might interact with the sex worker community at large; Finally you might slip a few appointments in and then I know you have to address Jae’s needs as well. Good luck getting any Christmas shopping in!! A good question is although we know that your an authority on many things regarding Commerce with in the underground sexually would you know of anyone who might be close to the intellectual concomitant of you to whom you could delegate some of your writing responsibilities to. That might help you see the light at the tunnel for someone who is busy as you are.